Colin Fernandez penned this article in the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail:

Nelson Mandela has been accused by his former wife of betraying South Africa’s black population.

In a savage attack, Winnie Mandela said he had done nothing for the poor and should not have accepted the Nobel peace prize with the man who jailed him, FW de Klerk.

I think I nearly lost my mind when I read Colin Fernandez’s use ofÂ the words “savage” & “attack” to describe Mama Winne Mandela‘s alleged accusation of Baba Nelson Mandela. I am appalled that in the 21st Century, a journalist would still those words to describe Africans or people of African descent! Particularly troubling to me is the use of the word savage. What was so “savage” about her “alleged” accusation (that is still to be confirmed by the ANC itself)? I was so mortified that her sentiments were reduced to “savage attack”. Strong, harsh, scathing, yes. But savage, NO! Absolutely not!

Mr. Fernandez please allow me to refresh your memory on the definition of the word, savage: fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed: as in savage beasts. uncivilized; barbarous: as in savage tribes. Regardless of what you may feel towards Mama Winnie Mandela, the word “savage” in this context is insensitive because it conjures up images of Africa/Africans that I fight to dispel. It was hard to read the article further (real talk)…

The 73-year-old said her ex-husband had become a ‘corporate foundation’ who was ‘wheeled out’ only to raise money for the ANC party he once led.

She said Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a cretin and claimed the sacrifices of Steve Biko and others in the fight against apartheid were being overlooked.

The comments were made in an interview yesterday with Nadira Naipaul, the wife of novelist V S Naipaul.

Mrs Mandela became notorious in 1991 when she was jailed for six years for the kidnap of Stompie Moeketsi – a sentence later cut to a fine.

Stompie, 14, had been murdered three years earlier by members of Mrs Mandela’s bodyguard, the Mandela United Football Club.

She also caused outrage by endorsing the punishment of apartheid collaborators with ‘ necklacing’ – putting burning tyres around their necks.

Yesterday she said: ‘This name Mandela is an albatross around the necks of my family.

‘You all must realise that Mandela was not the only man who suffered. There were many others, hundreds who languished in prison and died.

‘Mandela did go to prison and he went in there as a young revolutionary but look what came out.

‘Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks. Economically we are still on the outside. The economy is very much “white”.

‘I cannot forgive him for going to receive the Nobel with his jailer de Klerk. Hand in hand they went. Do you think de Klerk released him from the goodness of his heart?

‘He had to. The times dictated it, the world had changed.’

The Mandelas, who divorced in 1996, were married for 38 years – although together for only five.

Mrs Mandela criticised her country’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee – which she appeared before in 1997 and which implicated her in gross violations of human rights.

She said: ‘What good does the truth do? How does it help to anyone to know where and how their loved ones are killed or buried?

‘That Bishop Tutu who turned it all into a religious circus came here. He had a cheek to tell me to appear.

‘I told him that he and his other like-minded cretins were only sitting there because of our struggle and me. Look what they make him do. The great Mandela. He has no control or say any more.

‘They put that huge statue of him right in the middle of the most affluent white area of Johannesburg. Not here [in Soweto] where we spilled our blood.

‘Mandela is now like a corporate foundation. He is wheeled out globally to collect the money.’

She said her daughters, Zenani, 51, and Zindzi, 50, had to struggle through red tape to speak to their 91-year-old father, who led South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

Wow! All kinds of wow! I am told Mama Winnie Mandela is in the U.S on a visit. Peep her recent CNN interview with Roland Martin (thank you Ms. Makwakwa for heads up on this video!)…

“Africa is the new Asia“

Waiting to get some inside scoop on the alleged accusation story. Stay tuned!

Jennifer Hudson at Sir Elton John’s Oscar After Party

As you know, plans are going forward with the biopic movie based on Winnie Mandela. Jennifer Hudson is still scheduled to play the lead role of Winnie Mandela in the movie despite rumblings from South African actors. Wonder if this latest alleged accusation will make it in the movie.

Am I being overly sensitive about the word “savage” or what? Holla back & share your thoughts on this developing story! Muchas gracias!

YES i do think you are being overly sensitive. It’s a good interview as a wholemand i dont think there is a need to nitpick a word and further go all the way to suggest that it “conjures up images of Africa/Africans that I fight to dispel” – I don’t see the connection. And thats my two cents.

http://faraitoday.com farai

Hi Gugs,

Well this developing story is still to be confirmed on its veracity. It has not been substantiated on whether she said that about Baba Nelson Mandela and company. Hence my focus on the words â€œsavage attackâ€ instead of the allegations. My thing is to discuss rest of the story once it has been established that it is true that Mama Winnie Mandela did in fact say what she is alleged to have said.

I thought I did provide a definition of the word savage and hence the images that word brings with it. Gugu as you know, here at FaraiToday we try to dispel those very images that are commonly associated with that word particularly as it pertains to Africa / Africans. Cannot get any more elementary than thisâ€¦

That being said, I do appreciate your â€œtwo centsâ€ worth of opinion! Emphasis on â€œtwo centsâ€ *smile*

Thanks Gugs!
Farai

RandomnOne

Hooo chile you are being sensitive (sorry doll). I have less sterile words for her. I lived with a lot of ANC women in Harare who were in exile at the time and they didnt have pleasant things to say about her then. For the longest I thought they were being ‘haters’ but I have been proven wrong (time and time again). At 73 you should be wise enough to let teh bitterness go. She is as bitter as the Aloe plant *hisses* I think she should not speak about Madiba like that. Every family has problems and hers is not immune but when she comes out like this – she is the one who looks a few marbles short.

I also saw an interview she did complaining that JHud doesnt even look like her! I was like wow…just wow Winnie!